Articles
Business, industry partners help HCC fulfill its mission
By Margaret Ford Fisher, Ed.D., Chancellor, Houston Community College
Sep 25, 2024
Ask any college president in America and the answer will very likely be the same: colleges need the support of business, industry and private partners if they are to successfully achieve their mission.
Houston Community College (HCC) is no exception. These external partners provide guidance in developing curriculum for new courses, for advising curriculum for existing courses, for providing internships and apprenticeships to students, for providing state-of-the-industry equipment and software, for contributing to student scholarships, and more.
While funds from the Texas Legislature, tuition, and local taxes cover a college’s operating expenses, often it is the support and involvement of willing partners outside the college that help it thrive.
In recent months, for example, HCC received a grant from Johnson Controls to educate workers in the heating, ventilation and air conditioning, fire and security fields, and joined forces with Harris Health System to establish a comprehensive apprenticeship program to train and produce skilled patient-care technicians.
With the support from the Fracht Group based in Switzerland, the college is opening an apprenticeship program to address the growing demand for skilled professionals in the global, freight-forwarding sector. HCC also partners with the City of Houston to provide training in solar photovoltaic installation, to train firefighters, police and other first responders. Recently, the college began a partnership with Qualcomm, one of the world’s wireless technology leaders, to support and foster an inclusive patent ecosystem for inventors and innovators, and began working with the Federal Aviation Administration to establish a comprehensive aviation technician program that will address the growing demand for skilled aviation technicians in the region.
Along with Miami Dade College and the Maricopa Community College District, HCC is partnering with the National Science Foundation Advanced Technological Education program to create a national applied artificial intelligence (AI) consortium, a groundbreaking initiative that aims to foster the growth of technician-level AI professionals across the nation.
And, who can overlook the contributions of hundreds of individuals and businesses who gave more than $7 million in scholarships and grants for HCC students this past fiscal year? In a community where 937,000 adults—61 percent in the HCC service area—do not hold a college degree, and from that group, 300,000 have not graduated from high school, this support is critical. Research shows that, as of 2021, the median income of 22-to-34-year-olds who earned an associate degree at HCC increased from $28,000 to $48,000 annually within five years after completion. Meanwhile, the median income of 35-to-44-year-olds increased from $39,000 to $54,000. Certificate earners showed similar gains.
Truly, education has the power to change our community—and our partners help open the door.